April 04, 2014

Meet our new gorgeous (Voile) prints! With a soft, sheer touch and an elegant, lightweight drape, our 100% premium cotton Voile will have you melting away with its exceptional hand. Our new prints are rich in cool greens, bold blues and jazzy yellows.

Here is the whole collection:

We created a mini-video to show you what this collection is all about.

April 01, 2014

Pat's most versatile prints are finally here!! The elements and color palette she chose came together in trendy yet timeless prints offering many possibilities when combining them with other fabrics!

The colors vary from delicate beiges to bold blues. The special mix of bright and soft tones makes Essentials stand out.

The versatility of Essentials allowed us to get creative and play with colors when we designed our stunning projects! Below you’ll find apparel, accessories and home décor pieces made with fabrics from the collection.

Selecting the coordinating blenders for Essentials wasn’t easy! The collection matches with so many colors, leaving me with endless options! So, after trying many combinations, I found the one that translated the best the essence of Essentials.

We hope to have captured your imagination with fabrics that are innovative and stand out both in design and quality. More than anything we want to make your project visions and dreams come to life! Have a favorite? Ask your independent quilt and fabric shop about it!

To view the full collection of [knits], head to this page. For our (voiles), click here.

March 17, 2014

Meet Katarina Roccella, our newest fabric designer! She was born in Belgrade, Serbia where she’s currently living with her husband and her 3 kids. Art plays a big role in her life; with a master in Fine Arts on her shoulders and a PhD on its way, you can say she enjoys making collages, illustrations, calligraphy, graphic design, graphic prints; but sewing doesn't come behind!

We are very excited to have Katarina on our team! We believe that our first European designer will bring a very distinct point of you to her collection, because of the European cultural mix she carries and the multiple talents she can apply to her prints.

Here’s a video she prepared for you talking a little bit about herself and her first collection with AGF, Indelible. Enjoy!

Indelible incorporates aesthetic elements of her homeland country, Serbia, and of things that inspire her, such as flowers, vintage text and animals. Her line is a mix of modern, fresh and vintage. The collection is available in two color palettes and we will be shipping June 2014, so not too much time to wait, right?

Hope you enjoyed getting to know about Katarina! If you want to see more of her work, check out her website.

March 14, 2014

Did you follow the Safari Moon blog hop? Frances Newcombe selected a very talented group of quilters to join her blog hop, which started February 24th and ended March 12th. The projects showcased quilts, accessories and home décor pieces made with Safari Moon's rich fabrics!

The order of the pictures below are according to the order of the dates they were posted.

Now let’s take a look at these beauties!

Faith Jones of Fresh Lemons made the beautiful quilt on the left, and Lindsay Conner from Craft Buds made the modern and asymmetric Playing Cards quilt.

This HST pillow was made by Terri Harlan from Sew Fantastic. Jane Davidson from Quilt Jane made this fabulous foot stool on the right.

When Terri from Sew Fantastic was working on her pillow, she had the opportunity to help a little girl fighting cancer. She took an odd block from the quilt, and made it into an 18x18" quilted pillow cover. This cover was auctioned off along with another one she made with the help of many handmade artisans. She raised almost $3,000 dollars, which she donated to the little girl’s family. Way to go Terri!

Lynne Goldsworthy from Lily’s Quilts decided to make a Staple Dress from the beautiful zebra print and Sandy Whitelaw from Upstairs Hobby Room came up with a couple of projects! She made cup cozies, pouches, and a supersized quilt!

Katy Jones from Imagingermonkey made theis beautiful quilt and pillow with Safari Moon! And Victoria Findlay-Wolf from Bumblebeansin made the fantastic quilt on the right.

And the last project is the creation of blogger Megan Bohr from Canoe Ridge Creations. She chose to pair four prints from the Safari Moon line with a crisp white solid and her delicate Starburst mini quilt pattern.

To finish off, Frances is doing an amazing giveaway! She’s giving a fat quarter bundle of the entire collection on her blog!!! The two lucky winners will be announced soon on Frances’ blog. For more details, check her blog here!

March 12, 2014

Meet our newest collection, Drift! We couldn't be happier to announce the release of Angela Walters' third collection for AGF! Drift was inspired by her trip to St. John's Island.

"I immersed myself in the lush, tropical landscape and let my mind focus and drift to the things that caught my attention. I was wrapped up in the tiniest of details; the brickwork on the village streets, the woven patterns on the chairs, and even the tablecloth of a roadside shack that served up the best conch fritters."

-Angela Walters

Drift was designed in two different two color palettes, Ocean and Houses, where the colors of the ocean intertwine with the textures of the villas. They feature tints of blues, greens and corals.

Ocean consists of fresh blues and delicate greens.

Houses consist of soft greens and corals.

AGF's team got very creative when shooting Meadow! Our team and our model ended up taking some pictures on a roof! Check out the pictures below to see some more AGF's photoshoot adventures and to see some a m a z i n g home decor & fashion projects with Drift.

March 10, 2014

Caroline Hulse is another collaborator for Limited Edition! She defines her style as an ever-evolving mix of classic feminine romance and modern trends, which is present in all prints of her collection, Gleeful.

Caroline is a one of a kind seamstress! She taught herself to sew through watching YouTube videos, reading blogs, and going through scraps of fabrics. Since then, she’s found her passion in sewing and designing.

In the interview below she tells us all about her journey as a designer and the inspiration behind Gleeful!

Q: What's the story and inspiration behind your collection?

A: I consider my style to be an ever-evolving mix of classic feminine romance and modern trends. My collection of fabrics embraces these two themes whole-heartedly. I love designing and sewing my own clothing, so while designing my debut collection of fabric I thought to myself, “How would I wear this?” Each piece of my collection tells a story about a young woman pursuing her dreams. She is bold, yet feminine. She is carefree and romantic. She is modern, yet classic.

Q: What does the AGF Limited Edition concept mean to you, and what mood or point of view have you brought into this project?

A: When the idea of this AGF Limited Edition collaboration came to me, I was thrilled. I love stepping into unchartered waters with ideas and projects. Since this was something SO NEW, something never been done, I didn’t know what to expect. But, my expectations have been exceeded. I’ve learned many new things, met many new people, and discovered creativity inside of me that I did not know existed. Sara, April, and I bring three very different aesthetics to the table. I feel as though I’ve brought a youthful and carefree point of view to this project.

Q: How did your collaboration with AGF come about?

A: I have always loved working with Art Gallery fabrics because they have the best drape and feel of any quilting cotton I’ve ever used. I worked with Pat Bravo and AGF on a couple of projects through my blog and had the privilege of meeting Pat at Sewing Summit, where we were both teachers. After Quilt Market last year, she reached out to me about a new collaboration she was considering. I love Pat, so I immediately jumped on board (I mean, who wouldn’t right?).

Q: How has your experience been working alongside Art Gallery Fabrics on this project?

A: Through this whole process (where I started at ground zero!!) I have been given guidance and help where needed. The whole AGF team has been on board with this project from the beginning, which I think has helped the whole process be smoother.

Q: Describe your creative process when designing fabric.

A: For this collection I did a lot of window shopping and flipping through magazines. After I gathered a boat load of inspirational photos, color schemes and ideas, I took it to the drawing board. I don’t feel like I am a very good sketcher/drawer, but, I was able to sketch out my ideas to make them a reality. I sketched lots of flowers, geometric designs, dots, etc. and finally landed on eight prints that I fell in love with.

Q: Can you choose your favorite print from the collection and tell us why it's your favorite?

A: Yes, definitely my floral bouquet and stripe print! The design is printed on a navy fabric and has colors like emerald, gold, fuchsia, and aqua in it. I may not be able to spill these beans yet, But the stripe print will also be available on a knit substrate (squeel!) and would be PERFECT as a maxi version of my Out and About Dress!

Q: What's the one thing you can't live without?

A: I could definitely not live without my morning coffee. Or my iPhone…especially Instagram.

Q: What other designers, makers or artists inspire your work?

A: I have always been inspired by Pat Bravo’s work. I have loved seeing the progression of her fabric designs from when she first began until now. I also really admire the design work of Anna Maria Horner and Valori Wells.

Q: How do you stay on top of current design trends?

A: I love browsing through stores like Anthropologie, Madewell, and J.Crew to get a feel or current trends. I also frequently browse Pinterest, read blogs, and magazines. I tend to fall back on classic styles, with pops of modern trends mixed in here and there!

Q: Do you have a favorite quote or philosophy you live by?

A: I love this quote by Walt Disney, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

Q: What are you up to when you're not sewing or designing?

A: When I’m not sewing or designing (haha, but really, when is that?) I love to spend time with my husband traveling, taking our dog on walks, and spending time outdoors!

Q: Do you have any other upcoming projects lined up for 2014?

A: 2014 is the year that I’m making things happen! In February, I released my first women’s sewing pattern, the Out and About dress, and I have plans to release another pattern (The Tank Dress) in April, and have a couple more patterns in the works. Also attending Quilt Market as a vendor for the first time will be a huge step in my career! This is going to be an amazing, opportunity-filled year!

March 05, 2014

The wait is over! We’re thrilled with excitement to officially introduce you to Limited Edition! We’re going to tell you what our team of collaborators has been up to and show you some awesome fabrics that will take your breath away.

Some time ago we asked three remarkable designers, April Rhodes, Sara Lawson and Caroline Hulse, what gap they would like to see filled in the fabric industry regarding contemporary fabrics. they gave us enlightening answers from their individual areas of expertise, and that’s how the concept behind Limited Edition was born.

This project will have, on rotation, a team of designers doing one-time collaborations, each designing fabrics that are beautiful, versatile and effortless to use!

Limited Edition is here to simplify the sewing process, because we know how challenging sewing can be for beginners. Each line is made of 8 prints in quilting weight, 2 in knit and 1 in voile substrates.

Each of them is bringing very distinct styles making each collection special and unique; versatility defines Limited Edition’s forte. That's why we love to call it “fabrics with purpose.”

Now let me introduce you to the collections!

Arizona was designed by April Rhodes, her inspiration behind it is tribal and Native American prints combined with geometric shapes. She took her fantasy of a Bohemian life in the South West and put it into printed form.

Meet the ethnic collection Arizona:

On the other hand, Jungle Ave. by Sara Lawson, is inspired by city living. She wanted to play the idea of an ‘Urban Jungle,’ and that’s where the image of elephants marry the floral idea with images of the city.

Jungle Ave. modern prints:

The third collection of Limited Edition is Gleeful, a mix of feminine romance and contemporary trends. Each piece of Caroline Hulse’s collection tell a story about a young woman pursuing her dreams. She is carefree, romantic, modern, yet classic.

Gleeful feminine fabrics:

Our creative team of designers put this video together to explain what AGF Limited Edition means to them and what point of view they brought into this project. Enjoy!